REORGANIZATION OF ECONOMICS STUDY IN SERBIA

This project is designed according to Bologna principles. The main objectives are:

• Wider Objectives: To contribute to the reorganization of Economics and Management education in Serbia in line of the needs of ongoing social-economic reform and the current European trends and
• Specific Objectives: To restructure and update the existing undergraduate study programmes of Economics and Management in three state Serbian universities.

Basic idea of the proposed project is to establish good foundation for all the processes at the University and particularly for teaching process, by redesigning the existing Curricula for undergraduate studies and designing new Curricula. Restructuring of Curricula will begin with creating common elements of courses and new teaching methods. After that will be presented sub phase selection and introduction of new teaching methods. At the end will be promoted very sensitive activity harmonization of Curricula in three Serbian State Economic Faculties. Redesign will begin with subjects and courses with the biggest gap respecting similar subject and courses in EU universities. After that, next activity will be upgrading the content of the subjects and fine adjustments between subject contents. Outcome from this phase are concrete study programmes revised. Next group of activities should enable creation of procedure for common quality assurance through activities of its formal approval, implementation in teaching process, monitoring, internal conformity assessment and external assessment from accreditation body. Accordingly, certain activities have been suggested leading to certification and accreditation of the Faculty of Economics.

Concept of this project is deep involvement and mobility of all Consortium Members in project activities, great transparency, openness for further improvement and reachable objectives. Using great motivation, mutual familiarity, knowledge and respect of all Consortium Members applied project will avoid all weaknesses of team work because Consortium Members are ready to give full contribution in project realization with all theirs expert knowledge and skills.

According to the Project implementation is to be expected that Faculties of Economics in Serbia will actively take part in realization of the economic strategy in Serbia, building adequate knowledge infrastructure, communication and information channels and quicker knowledge transfer from EU countries into Serbia.

Beginning with wider objectives and specific objectives of the project, needs identified for the parties interested and in accordance with requirements and policy of Higher Education in Serbia, the applied project “Reorganization of Economics Study in Serbia” is expected to attain the following outcomes:

1. Basic principles and model of Economics and Management studies agreed
2. Concrete study programmes revised
3. Common quality assurance procedure developed
4. ECTS system implemented
5. Students involvement in decision making and teaching process established
6. Facilities modernized
7. Dissemination and Sustainability
8. Quality Control and Monitoring
9. Management of the project

Integration Faculties of Economics from Serbia into European Higher Education Area is necessary and will be introduced by applying of up-to-date information and communication technologies in both teaching process and follow-up services at the University. This project will enhance the openness of the University by infrastructure building in three new computer classrooms (Kragujevac, Belgrade, Nis) connected with other PCs using communication network and Internet technologies.

Students involvement, especially in decision making and teaching processes, is necessary for quality improvement of all processes. For realization of this project phase is required: (1) analyze and review of students involvement in decision making and teaching process and (2) implementation of relevant mechanisms for improvement of students role. Milestones for this project phase are: establishing of Students Parliament on each of three faculties in partner country and preventive and corrective actions for improvement of students role.

Project activities started at September 2005. with deeply involvement all representatives from partner Universities and broader deployment with engagement all members of project teams (Central team, inter faculties team for different main aspects in the project – Curricula, ECTS, QA and students mobility, faculty teams). In this time are finished comparative analyze of Curricula, defined basic principles for reorganization Economics and Management studies and adjusted the mobility plan for teaching staff and students.